Compartment can



July 14, 1931. H. M. NlCHOLLS 1,814,180

COMPARTMENT CAN Filed May 9, 1927 lkderzzbr to an improved combination container and- Patented July 14, 1931 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HENRY M. NICHOLLS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN CAN COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY COMPAR'IMENT CAN Application filed May 9, 1927. Serial No. 189,810.

This invention relates in general to compartment cans and refers more particularly the method of making the same.

Compartment cans are used to provide a convenient package for'products which are adapted for use as mixtures, but which for various reasons cannot be mixed until their immediate use in impending. Such compositions as bronzing paint which comprises a heavy bronzing pigment and a carrying liquid cannot Well be packaged as a mixture for the reason that the heavy pigment will separate out in the container before reaching the consumer, the pigment settling to the bottom of the container and forming a hard cake which cannot easily be rermixed with the carrier fluid. This is especially true where the package is. stored for a period before reaching the hands of the user. There is a further disadvantage in packing and shipping such products in mixed form which resides in the deterioration of the mixture over long periods of storage. By providing a combination or two part container and packing the in gredients of the composition in separate compartments, the ultimate user can mix the ingredients only when they are to be used immediately and can make only as much of the mixture as is immediately needed, thus avoiding all the above disadvantages.

The present type of compartment can comprises a two-part container, the parts being secured together by frictional means formed integrally in one of the parts which engages the other part and thus secures the two compartments together. This construction has the disadvantage that it provides a special container requiring special manufacturing machinery 'for its production. It is readily seen that the frictional element which is adapted to temporarily hold the two com-' partments together must be-properly made and accurately sized in order to provide'a fit adapted to adequately secure the two compartments in engaged position. In manufacturing compartment cans it is desirable from an economic standpoint to make the parts separately and frequently such parts are made in different factories, being shipped in dis-assembled condition to the manufac-- turer of the ingredients who fills and assembles the containers. It is thus inconvenient to rectify slight but important dimensional inaccuracies in the conformation of the separate parts before they are shipped from the factory. The resulting rejections. of the product after shipment has been made materially increase the costs of partment cans.

My present invention has for its principal object the provision of a compartment can which will overcome the defects apparent in the present type of container.

A further important object of the invention is the provision of a compartment can comprising standard parts which may be manufactured on highly developed machinery in large quantities and which are adaptable for uses other than as elements of a compartment can.

Another important object of the invention is the provision of a simple binding strip by means of which two standard cans may be secured together to form a unitary compartment can which may be easily separated into its component parts to provide access to the contents of both containers.

Still another important object of the invention is the provision of a compartment can, the units of which may be separately manufactured on standard machinery.

Numerous other objects of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the'following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

.Figure 1 is a perspective view of a compartment can embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of theupper container element of the compartment can embodying my invention;

Fig. 3 is-a perspective view of the lower container element'of the compartment can;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the retaining strip element of the compartment can; and

producing com- Fig. 5' is a-sectional view taken gubstan I tially'on line 55 of Fig. 4,

-- integral To illustrate my invention I have shown on the drawings a compartment can comprising an upper and lower container 11 and 12 which are adapted for end to end engagement and a frictional retaining strip 13 which is adapted to engage adj acentportions of the upper and lower compartments to secure the same in engaged position.

The containers 11 and 12 comprise the standard type of sanitary can and are similar in every respect, except that the volumetric capacity of the containers may be varied as desired by varying the height of the side walls of the individual container. Each container comprises side walls 14 which are formed from a strip of metal formed into sidewalls and secured together by means of a vertical side seam 16 which may be formed in any convenient manner. Each container is provided with a bottom 17 the edges of which are seamed to the lower edges of the side walls in'any convenient manner to provide a bottom seam 18 and a top wall 19 which is similarly secured to the upper central portion, the edges the strip is bent longitudinally edges of the side walls to provide a top seam 21. The central portions of the top 19 are removed to provide an opening through which the can may be filled or emptied of its contents. An ordinary type of friction closure 22 is provided to removably seal this opening and comprises a substantially flat of which are offset to provide a sealing shoulder 23 adapted to frictionally engage the edges of the opening to provide a frictional closure for the container. The end seams 18 and 19 of the containers have a similar contour and form outwardly projecting flanges so that when the containers have end to end engagement the adjacent end seams have engagement throughout their entire length, and provide a double annular bead 21 around the side walls of the combination container.

The frictional retaining strip of my invention which is adapted to secure the upper and lower compartments together comprises a strip of material 26 which has a length P slightly greater than the external CTI'CUID. ference of the containers. The material of to provide a central groove 27 and lateral flange portions 28, the central groove 27 having a concave inner face 29. Portions of the side flanges 28 are cut away adjacent an end of the strip as at 30 to provide a T-head comprising side lugs 31, at the end of the strip. A portion of the central groove also is cut away at the opposite end of the strip as at 33, leaving end portions from the end of the strip to provide lugs 34.

To secure the individual containers toether to form the compartment can of my engaging the concave of the side flanges 28 protruding upper and lower containers respectively bein in mutual engagement and providing a double head 24. The containers are then secured in engaged position by wrapping the retaining strip 13 around the doilble bead 24,

face of the groove porti on 27 upon the double bead 21, and the flange portions 28 respectively upon the lower and upper side portions of the upper and lower adjacent containers. The T-head end of the strip is engaged over the opposite end of of the strip, and the longitudinal lugs 34 are bent over the lateral lugs 31 along a line of bend 35 and provide hooked engagement between the ends of the strip. This method of attaching opposite ends of the retaining strip permits the strip tobe drawn tightly about the container and provides frictional engagement between the strip of the upper and lower compartments, the adjacent beaded seam portions 24 being retained beneath the groove 27, thus maintaining the compartments firmly in end to end engagement and providing the compartment can.of my invention.

In this novel and simple manner an improved compartment may be made from standard can elements.-

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that many changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the. spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

A compartment can comprising separate containers, each container being closed independently of the other, said containers having mutually engaging portions which project a little outward from the bodies of the containers, and means detachably engaging above and below said outwardly projecting ortions to removably secure the containers together, said means consisting of a band having an outwardly bent portion which embraces said portions of the containers and having upwardly and dowmvardlv extending flanges which embrace respectively the walls of said containers, the ends of said band having detachable means for securely uniting said ends.

HENRY M. NICHOLLS.

the lower end 21 of the into end to end relationship, seam 18 and the upper end seam 

